Tri-County Track registration on

Hear ye, hear ye, all residents of Madison, Culpeper and Orange counties, age 4 to 79.

Now is the time to begin getting in shape to help your county bring home the Winners Trophy from this year’s Tri-County Track Meet competition! The meet will be 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Sept. 12 at Culpeper County’s Eastern View High School – the first time ever at EVHS.

There will be six running events (50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and one mile), and three field events (long jump, shot put and softball throw).

Males will compete in their age bracket (4-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75-79); females likewise.

For each event, the winner in each bracket will be awarded a medal and one point. At the end of the meet, the name of the county having the most points will be engraved on the Tri-County Winners Trophy, and it will belong to that county until the 2010 competition.

This year’s meet will be the fourth in the history of organized competition between child, adult and senior residents of these three counties.

Madison hosted the 2006 and 2007 meets and won both by large margins. Last year’s meet was run at Culpeper High School. Even lacking a home-turf advantage, Madison again overall toppled foes from its two larger neighboring counties.

But 2008 did not bring the usual Madison blow-out – Madison defeated Culpeper by a mere 25 points. Orange has finished third each year, but every year their athletes post the highest number of average points per competitor.

The real drama this year is with the meet again being in Culpeper, whether Madison will be able to hold on to the Winners Trophy. Will Culpeper or Orange finally be able to wrest it away?

The county that shows up with the most participants will most likely be the winner. Having a large number of enthusiastic supporters will also motivate your county’s participants to do their best.

Entry forms are available now on the Tri-County Track and Field Meet Web site at http://www.culpeperruritans.org, at The Madison County Eagle’s front counter, at the Madison County Facilities and Recreation Department office on the second floor of the War Memorial Building and at the Gold’s Gym in Culpeper. (An entry form is also available below.)

The cost to participate in this family-friendly and health-improving activity is still just $1 per event. Register now and get ready to help your county bring home the trophy. 

(Brightwood resident Bob Reid is the founder and coordinator of the Tri-County Track Meet. His e-mail address is and his phone number is [540] 948-5416.)